Wire-drawing machine.



T. B. RYON.

WIRE DRAWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 19,1917.

1,243,879. Patented Oct. 23,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET p11 Lg T. B. RYON.

V WIRE DRAWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I9. l9l7.

LQQ37QG Patented 0015. 23, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

TRACY B. RYON, F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

WIRE-DRAWING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Get. as, raw.

Application filed April 19, 1917. Serial No. 163,271.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TRACY B. RYoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Wire-Drawing Machine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a wire drawing machine of the type in which the wire is drawn continuously through successive dies in a single operation.

In such machines the wire is reduced in successive stages as it is drawn through the different dies and the length of the wire is correspondingly increased. It is necessary to provide mechanism for positively drawing the wire through each successive die, and such mechanism commonly comprises a drum driven at a fixed and predetermined speed. The speed of rotation of each successive drum is proportioned as accurately as possible to the length of the wire after it passes the die associated with said drum.

It is found, however, that it is not possible in practice to exactly predetermine the length of wire which will be drawn from a given die. The wear of the die and the variations in stock prevent the maintenance of absolutely fixed production. Accordingly it has been found necessary to provide tension devices which will take care of these unavoidable variations in the length of wire delivered to or from the successivewinding drums. I

It is the object of my present invention to provide an improved guiding and tension device which will automatically care for any small increase or decrease in the amount of wire delivered from one die or called for by the next succeeding die.

With this general object in view,-an 1mportant feature of my invention relates to the provision of a guiding and tension device associated with the winding drum or 45 equivalent mechanism of the machine, and

having frictional engagement therewith.

Further features of my invention relate to arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and more particularly 50 pointed out in the appended claims.

The referred form of my invention and a modlficationk thereof are shown in the drawings, in which Figure 1 1s a s1de elevation, partly in section, of a wire drawing machine embodying my improvements;

Fig. 2 isa plan view of the machine shown 1n Flg. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevation of one of my guiding and tension devices, the winding drum being shown in section;

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the friction connection between the tension device and the winding drum, taken along the line 4-4 in Fig. 3; 4

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional elevation of a modification, and

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a guide pulley to be used with said modification.

Referring to the drawings, I have shown a wire drawing machine of conventional type having a frame 10 on which is supported a series of wire drawing dies 11, 12, 13 and 14. The wire to be drawn is delivered from a reel 15 around guide pulleys 16 and 17 to the first die 11. The wire is drawn from the die 11 by a winding drum 20 on a vertical shaft 21 rotatable in fixed bearings and having a bevel gear connection to a countershaft 22 which is geared to a drive shaft 23 (Fig. 2). Y

The wire passes from the drum 20 to guide pulleys 24 and 25 by which it is directed to a second die 12 through which it is drawn by a winding drum 26 mounted on a shaft 27 and geared for rotation from the countershaft 22 but at a speed greater than that of the drum 20. From the drum 26 the wire 20 passes around additional guide pulleys 28 and 29 to a third die 13 through which it is drawn by a third winding drum 30 driven at a still higher speed from the countershaft 22. From the drum 30 the wire passes around a guide pulley 31 to the fourth drawing die 14 through which it is drawn by a large windin drum 32 on which the drawn wire is reele The drum 32 is positively driven from the countershaft 22 at a still higher proportional speed.

While I have shown four successive draw: ing dies and associated parts, it will be understood that the number of such dies may be increased as desired. The parts thus far described are of the usual type and form no essential part of my invention.

I will now describe the improved guiding and tension device which-embodies my invention. Referring particularly to Figs. 3

and 4, I have shown the drum in section and the shaft 21 as extending upwardly inside of the drum 20. A tension guide arm is loosely mounted upon the upper end of the shaft 21 with the lower end of its hub 41 resting upon a collar 42 secured to the shaft 21., A stud 43 extends upwardly from a lug or projection on the collar 42 and supports a pair of clamping or friction arms 44 and 45 which encircle a portion of the hub 41. The arms 44 and 45 are yieldingly pressed together by a spring 46 encircling a bolt 47 which extends through the outer ends of the clamping arms. By changing the length of the bolt 47 the pressure of the spring and the friction of the clamping armsmay be adjusted.

The tension arm 40 is provided With an upwardly projecting portion 48 in which is rotatably mounted a guide pulley 49 sub stantially in the axis of the shaft 21.1The laterally projecting portion of the arm 40 rotatably supports a second guide pulley 50 disposed outside of the winding surface of the drum 20. The outer end of the arm 40 may be forked or slotted, as indicated, to permit the free passage of the wire from the guide pulley 50 to the guide pulley 49.

where it extends upward from the guide.

pulley 49 the tension arm 40 would be carried around by friction with the drum 20 and the wire would merely be wound up in increasing amounts upon said drum.

But the tension upon the wire W, from the pull of the next succeeding winding drum 26, tends constantly to unwind the I wire from said drum, such action involving a backward movement of the tension arm 40 relative to the drum 20. If the wire is being drawn from the drum at the exact rate at which it is being supplied to the drum the backward movement of the arm 40 will exactly equal the'advance movement of the drum Q0, and the tension arm will remain practically fixed in position.

Whenever a surplus of wire is supplied to the drum 20 the backward pull of the wire on the tension arm is decreased and the tension arm is carried along with the drum 20 by friction until the surplus wire has been wound upon the drum. If, on the other hand. there is a shortage of wire delivered to the drum when compared with In the operation of my device .the wire that called for by the next die, the tension arm is drawn backward at an increasing rate, thereby unwinding the wire from the drum 20 at a slightly greater rate than it is being supplied to the drum. The amount of wire carried in storage'upon the drum is accordingly increased or decreased automatically in accordance with the amount of wire required for the nextsucceeding die. As the run of a single piece of wire is definitely limited, the storage of the winding drums is ample to take care of all variatlons occurring during a single continuous run. In Fig. 5 I have shown a modification in which I omit the tension arm 40 and guide pulley 50 and substitute therefor a guiding traveler frictionally engaging an upwardly projecting flange 61 formed on the edge of the winding drum 20 The guide pulley 62 for use With this form of my apparatus is loosely mounted at the upper end of the shaft 21 and rotates freely relatively thereto. Ball or roller bearings may be used in some instances between the supporting bracket 03 and the shaft 21 to increase the ease with which the pulley 62 follows the angular position of the traveler 60. The operation of this form of my invention is essentially similar to that of the preferred form.-

I regard as a very important feature of my invention the provision of means for frictionally associating the Wire with the winding drum at the point where it leaves the drum to pass to the next succeeding die.

I have shown herein two constructions by which this result mav be accomplished, and

I consider within the scope of my invention any device whereby such friction is provided between the wire and the drum, either directly or indirectly. It will be evident also that other changes and modifications can be made herein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and 11a scope of my invention as set forth in the claims, and I do not wish to be otherwise limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In a wire drawing machine having suecessive drawing dies, a member on which the wire is wound as it comes from a drawing die, means to continuously rotate said member, and means associated with saidmember effective to guide the wire therefrom, said means including a guiding element mounted for angular movement by the wire relative to said member and having also frictional engagement with said memher.

2. In a wire drawing machine having successive drawing dies. a member on which the wire is wound as it comes from a drawing die, means to continuously rotate said member at a predetermined speed, and 130 means associated with said member eflective to guide the wire therefrom, said means including a guide arm frictionally mounted on the axis of said member, and means to adjust the friction between said arm and its support.

3. In a wire drawing machine having successive drawing dies, a drumefiective to take up the wire as it comes from a die,

means to continuously iotate said drum at predetermined speed, and means to guide the wire from said drum to the next succeeding die and defining a path for the wire from the surface of the drum to a point substantially in. line' with the axis thereof, said means being frictionally connected to said drum and being movable thereby to take up an excess of wire between the dies, and being also relatively movable in the rearward direction by the pull of the wire to unwind from the drum a sufficient amount of wire to be delivered to the succeeding die.

4. In a wire drawing machinehaving successive drawing dies, a drum on which the wire is wound as it comes from a drawing die, means to continuously rotate said drum at a predetermined speed, and means associated with said drum effective to guide the wire therefrom, said means including an arm mounted for rotation about the axis of said drum, a guide at the outer end of said arm, a second guide substantially in line with the axis of said drum, and a friction.

driving connection between said drum and said arm.

' In testimony whereof I have hereunto afiixed my signature.

TRACY B. RYON. 

